Westside Messenger - May 2nd, 2021

www.columbusmessenger.com
May 2, 2021 - WESTSIDE MESSENGER - PAGE 7
Fire department facing financial strain after levy
By Amanda Ensinger
Staff Writer
A local fire department is continuing to
struggle, despite recently passing a new
levy. According to Franklin Township officials,
the levy was not enough.
Recently, the Franklin Township
Trustees asked voters to approve a 5.89-
mill replacement levy. This was a smaller
levy than what was proposed.
Franklin Township Fire Chief James
Welch laid out several options for the board
to choose from. If the township wanted to
maintain services at the time, voters would
have had to pass a 13-mill levy, according
to the chief.
“This option would have allowed us to
have two engines and two medics,” said
Welch.
The other two options were a 9.85-mill
levy that would result in the department
keeping two fire engines and one medic or
a 5.89-mill levy that would result in the
department keeping one fire engine and
two medics.
Wellness and foot care
LifeCare Alliance provides a nurse at
the Prairie Township Community Center
around the westside
According to Welch, with option two the
department would have to had let go of six
firefighters and with option three they
would have had to let go of nine firefighters.
As a result, Welch said this would
impact their response rates and they would
have to wait for neighboring fire departments
to respond to calls if they couldn’t
respond.
The trustees agreed to go with the 5.89-
mill replacement levy option because the
department needed to get a levy passed.
“The trustees thought voters would be
more likely to approve this than a levy asking
for more millage,” said Mark Potts,
township administrator. “This amount will
allow our fire department to continue to
operate, while also staying within their
budget.”
The township also has three other permanent
levies.
The township placed a 19-5-mill township-wide
levy on the ballot in the spring of
2020 but that levy failed.
As a result of the smaller levy passing,
the department has had to cut its staff size
weekly to provide free foot care and other
wellness services. To schedule an appointment
or for more information, contact the
wellness office at 614-437-2878.
SUMMER BLAST!
down from 39 firefighters to 29. Instead of
laying off staff, they are not filling the positions
when someone leaves.
“We will still be a 24/7 fire department,
but we may not be able to respond to emergencies
as quickly as we normally could,”
Welch said. “We will have to rely on mutual
aid when we can’t get to an emergency.”
This is the smallest the department has
been in 15 years.
“I think a large part of the reason the
previous permanent levy failed was
because there was a group of people putting
false information out there,” said
Franklin Township Trustee John
Fleshman. “If we had a permanent levy
then, we wouldn’t have to keep coming
back to voters every five years asking for a
new levy.”
Fleshman also said with inflation, the
costs continue to increase to operate the
fire department.
The township’s police department is facing
similar issues, according to Fleshman.
As a result, they also plan to ask voters to
approve a levy this year.
“A township-wide levy would help
spread these expenses out more and ensure
everyone is paying their fair share,”
Fleshman said. “It also would allow us to
collect from people who have annexed out
of the township.”
Fleshman said getting communities like
Valleyview and local businesses on board is
the only way a township-wide levy will
pass.
GRAND OPENING!
SAVE BIG!
UNBELIEVABLE DEALS!
Only at Appliances and Mattresses Liquidation
We are open Monday-Saturday 10am-7pm and Sunday from 11am-5pm
614-947-0097
ELVIS
featuring
Mike Albert
and the Big E Band
Saturday
June 12, 2021
VILLA MILANO
1630 Schrock Rd.
Dinner/Show Tickets $ 55.00
Tables of 10 Available
Tickets by Phone: 614-792-3135
Still Good Seats Available
Visa • Mastercard • Discover
NO REFUNDS
We are located at 3008 Sullivant Ave., Columbus, OH 43204